


Neighbors

by KeiChanz



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Haven't decided if Sess is gonna make an appearance yet, Hell i don't even know where i'm going with this lmao, Language, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slice of Life, i guess we'll see lmao, inukag - Freeform, some drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:42:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25733041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeiChanz/pseuds/KeiChanz
Summary: Inuyasha is winding down from a long day at work when suddenly he hears a loud crash from the apartment above him, followed by a feminine scream. Instantly worried, he doesn't think before rushing upstairs to check on his new neighbor.“Aw…damn,” Inuyasha muttered and watched as a tiny smile lifted the corners of her lips.Heshouldhave been offended – was she laughing at his suffering even in her sleep? But instead all he felt was a curious warmth blossoming in his chest that gradually spread outward and Inuyasha knew, right then and there, that his fate was sealed.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 44
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on tumblr July 2018.

It was just after 10 pm when he walked through the door to his apartment and the first thing he noticed was that she was singing again. Despite being exhausted and damn near dead on his feet – the shop was busy as hell today – an amused grin lifted the corners of his lips and his ears perked up, straining to hear the pleasant melody through the ceiling where it floated down to him.

His apartment building had a new tenant and she’d moved two weeks ago into the apartment right above his own. At first he’d griped and complained, not wanting to have another fucking elephant above him that stomped around at all hours of the night and was generally loud as hell like his previous neighbor had been. But after the first night and he woke up feeling surprisingly well rested, Inuyasha realized much to his pleasure that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad this time around.

Then before he knew it, the first week flew by and the only thing he’d heard from her was her soft footsteps crossing to each room and the gentle sound of her voice singing a tune. It was definitely an improvement as far as he was concerned, so Inuyasha had no complaints thus far.

Flicking his ears, Inuyasha determined she was directly above him considering how clear he could hear her and he registered a faint clinking sound, like glass softly knocking into each other. Idly he wondered if she was still unpacking some boxes as he reached behind himself to snag his dirty, sweat-stained shirt. He tugged it off, carelessly dropping it to the floor before plopping down onto the couch with a grunt.

As he sat there debating on whether to take a shower first and then eat or vice versa, his neighbor’s admittedly pleasant voice floated down to him and he sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back onto the sofa. He let the melody wash over him, let it drown out all other thoughts as a sense of peace enveloped his mind. His body relaxed into the cushions as the melody lulled him into a deep sense of lethargy, his muscles feeling heavy, a haze clouding over his mind as he drifted further into the realm of peaceful slumber.

Inuyasha was in that blissful state of half-awake and half-asleep when suddenly he was jolted to full wakefulness when the very loud sound of glass shattering came from directly above him accompanied by the shrill echo of a woman’s scream.

He reacted without thinking. Faster than a blink Inuyasha ran for his door, yanked it open and was leaping up the stairs to the second floor in the next second. Flying down the short hallway to the second floor apartment, Inuyasha pounded on the door with a balled up fist, concern for the woman inside making his heart race and his voice frantic.

“Hey!” he called, pounding the door again. “You okay in there?!”

Silence.

“Hey—answer me, dammit!” His hand slammed on the door again. “Wench, if you don’t answer me I’m gonna—!”

Muffled by the door, Inuyasha barely detected the sound of someone inhaling sharply and then a soft cry of distress spurred him into action. Cursing darkly, he grasped the door knob – he scowled upon discovering it was unlocked – and pushed his way inside. Instantly the scent of blood reached his nose and he swore again, hurrying to the kitchen where it was originating from and the sight that greeted him made him very happy that he’d decided to investigate.

Sitting on the floor near a toppled over chair, clutching a hand to her chest and looking very pale, his upstairs neighbor stared at him with wide caramel eyes, mouth parted slightly and he could detect a fine trembling in her body. She appeared to be in shock, frozen in place, and Inuyasha’s concern increased. Forcing his gaze away to take in the rest of the scene, he took in the shards of shattered class that was scattered across the tiled floor and his eyes landed on a cardboard box on its side a little ways away. What appeared to be broken glasses and mugs lied inside and it didn’t take Inuyasha long to guess what had happened.

Frowning as he assessed the damage, although glad that it wasn’t as bad as he’d originally thought, Inuyasha lifted his gaze back toward the woman still staring at him.

“Ya alright?” he asked, voice gruff.

Blinking, she appeared to not have heard at him at first, simply staring at him with those wide brown eyes. He was beginning to fear that perhaps it _was_ worse than it looked, but then she inhaled sharply and gave a single curt nod. Then to his surprise she moved to stand up and Inuyasha reacted swiftly.

“No,” he snapped, gesturing with a hand to stay down as he eyed the sharp glass surrounding her and then the soft soles of her bare feet. “Don’t move. Stay there.”

Thankfully she didn’t argue and sank back down, wincing as she cradled her hand against her chest again. Well, at least now he knew where the blood was coming from.

Inuyasha carefully picked his way through the shattered glass toward the distressed woman in the middle of it, grateful he hadn’t thought to kick his shoes off when he got home. The glass he couldn’t avoid crunched under his boots until finally he crouched down beside her and slipped one arm behind her back while the other went beneath her legs.

“Alright, hang on,” he murmured and she silently reached up to wrap her arm around his neck as he lifted her up. In two short strides he was at the counter beside the sink and gingerly he set her down on it before flicking on the cold tap before gesturing to her hand.

“Lemme see.”

Grimacing, the dark-haired woman still cradled her hand in the other as she stretched out her arm and very carefully Inuyasha took it into his own, mindful of his claws. He couldn’t help but note that she barely seemed aware of them, that or she didn’t care. Either way he was grateful as he carefully pried her fingers open and stuck her hand under the flowing cold water.

She hissed through her teeth and reflexively tried to jerk her hand out of his grasp but he held fast, holding her palm under the water to both wash away the blood and hopefully numb some of the pain. Inuyasha frowned as he assessed the damage, gently prodding the deep gash across her palm with the pad of his finger. His ears pinned when she gasped softly in pain and he muttered a soft apology.

Inuyasha worked in silence for several moments as he cleaned off her hand and deliberated on if it needed stitches or not. Her hand was small in his own, her skin soft, and he liked how delicate it looked in his larger palm. He snuck another glance at her through the fringe of his bangs.

He’d often wondered what she looked like, wanting to match a face to the lovely voice he heard nearly every day, but damn, he never would have imagined she’d be so beautiful. Dark hair that fell in thick waves down her back, large, expressive brown eyes that reminded Inuyasha of melted caramel, and full lips that were just begging to be kissed.

At the moment, however, they were pursed slightly from the pain no doubt radiated from her hand, obviously more intense than she let on, so Inuyasha sought to distract her.

“So what happened?” His voice was huskier than he would have liked and he mentally kicked himself, giving his head a little shake. _Focus, idiot!_

He saw her blush out of his peripheral and his eyebrows rose slightly, but he otherwise didn’t react.

“I was standing on the chair to put the glasses away on the top shelf,” she answered, her voice a little breathless no doubt from pain and residual shock. “One of them must have broken in the box because when I reached inside, something sharp sliced my hand and I was so startled I dropped the box, lost my balance and down I went.”

She sighed and then wrinkled her nose. “I think I twisted my ankle too, because I can’t move it much.”

As if to prove her point, she flexed her right ankle and winced as it twinged in pain.

Inuyasha nodded, not surprised to hear that he was more or less right on what happened, though he hadn’t known about her ankle. He flicked a glance down at it then back to her hand; it took precedence since it was more severe.

“You’re lucky all you got away with is a cut on the hand and a twisted ankle,” he remarked idly, gingerly brushing his thumb across the gash. “Coulda been a lot worse.”

“Yes,” she whispered and he saw her frown out of the corner of his eye. “I’m sorry, but, how...?”

Inuyasha spared her a quick glance.

“I live downstairs,” he said shortly. “I heard the crash of glass and when you screamed.”

His ear twitched toward her as if punctuating that statement and he watched her eyes light up in delight. He had to resist the urge to smirk in amusement even as bafflement flashed in his eyes. She wasn’t disgusted?

“Oh,” she breathed then offered him a small but genuine smile. “Then I suppose I should thank you for coming to see if I was okay. Lucky me.”

 _And how_ , she thought, casting a quick, appreciative glance to the muscular bare chest inches away from her hand.

Suddenly feeling a mite flushed and hoping he hadn’t caught her staring, the young woman needlessly cleared her throat and said, “Um, I’m Kagome.”

“Inuyasha. Well, Kagome,” the half-demon began, deciding he liked the way her name rolled off his tongue, “looks like this is gonna need a few stitches. It’s pretty deep and there’s a risk of infection if you don’t get this treated properly.”

Turning off the tap, Inuyasha cradled Kagome’s hand in his own as he opened the drawer closest to him, looked inside, closed it then opened the one next to it. With a low noise of triumph he fished around for a dishrag then used it to wrap her hand in a makeshift bandage, securing the knot over the gash to keep pressure on it.

Kagome flinched when he tightened it, but mustered a strained smile.

“Thanks,” she whispered, laying her hand in her lap and running her fingers over the homemade bandage.

Inuyasha nodded mutely and reached for her ankle, carefully wrapping his fingers around the delicate bone and slowly flexing it back and forth. Kagome sucked in a sharp breath and tensed.

“Not broken,” he murmured and shot her a glance. “Think you can stand?”

Kagome bit her lip, studied her twisted ankle, and made a face. Inuyasha took that as answer enough and sighed, thrusting a hand through his hair.

“Alright. Where are your shoes?”

The young woman gave him a strange look at the seemingly random question.

“By the door. Why?”

Without answering her Inuyasha left and returned a minute later with her slip-on shoes in his hand.

“Here,” he said shortly then spun around once more, heading toward the doorway.

Utterly lost, Kagome held her shoes and stared after him with something akin to confused panic.

“W-wait—where are you going? I can’t get down!” Was he going to leave her after she told him she couldn’t walk?

Inuyasha paused at the doorway and half-turned so he could toss her a look over his shoulder.

“You wanna walk to the hospital?” he asked her, cocking an eyebrow.

Kagome faltered and blinked. Flushed.

“Um, no,” she replied bashfully, feeling a mite foolish for suspecting him to be so insensitive.   
  
“Didn’t think so,” he drawled. “Stay there. I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared and a few seconds later Kagome heard her apartment door open and close.

Huffing, Kagome crossed her arms, gasped when her cut hand protested that movement, then pouted moodily at the doorway.

“Sure,” she mumbled. “It’s not like I can _stand_ , let alone walk.”

Thankfully it was only a few minutes later, in which Kagome managed to slip her shoes on, when Inuyasha returned wearing a shirt and a backwards ballcap. Kagome tried very hard to hide the disappointment that he’d covered up all that gloriously hard muscle. Goodness, if she’d known her downstairs neighbor was _this_ attractive, she’d have made an effort to meet him much sooner, although under _much_ _less_ humiliating circumstances.

Inuyasha paused when he noticed her staring at him and he looked down at his dirty and torn jeans.

He grimaced and explained, “I just got out of work when I heard you fall and didn’t have time to change. Sorry.”

Realizing she was indeed staring, Kagome blushed and hurriedly shook her head.

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” she assured, flapping her uninjured hand dismissively.

Then she paused, cocked her head and asked, “Where do you work?”

Closing the distance between them, Inuyasha once more slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Kagome gasped and automatically wrapped her arm around his neck, keeping her bandaged hand tucked against her stomach.

“Auto shop,” he answered as he carried her through the kitchen, more glass crunching beneath his boots but he paid it no mind. He’d sweep it for her when they got back since she would probably need to stay off her ankle.

Kagome smiled. “Grease monkey, huh?” she teased him as he crossed the living room and headed toward the door.

She noticed he’d left it cracked open, probably since he’d known he wouldn’t have hands to open it. Her flush darkened, a little surprised at how pleased that made her. And, she discovered, it felt very nice to be carried by him. She could feel how solid his frame was against her own, his arms and shoulders thick with muscle and he wasn’t even breathing hard from carrying her.

 _Was I regretting having an upstairs apartment before?_ Kagome mused idly as he thoughtfully snagged her purse from her small table, figuring her keys and insurance would be in it, before exiting her apartment _._

_Good lord, not anymore!_

The corner of his mouth twitched as he cast her a quick glance.

“Grease _dog,”_ he corrected and was rewarded with a quiet snort from the woman in his arms.

He paused so Kagome could reach out with her good hand and pull her door closed then continued on downstairs. She needn’t worry about locking it; they were in a good part of the neighborhood, and with him living in the downstairs apartment coupled with the rumored nasty tempered landlady, people tended to give the building a very wide berth. He told her as much and he felt her relax in his arms.

Parked right in front of the house, it was a short walk to his truck and Inuyasha carefully deposited her into the cab before rounding the vehicle and getting behind the wheel. The ten-minute drive to the hospital was filled with a comfortable silence and it was only when Inuyasha parked into the closest spot to the entrance he could find that Kagome broke it.

Inuyasha cut the engine and opened his door, but before he could exit, a small hand resting on his arm gave him pause. He turned his gaze to the woman beside him, eyebrow raised in silent inquiry.

Her big caramel eyes were warm and earnest as she said sincerely, “Thank you, Inuyasha. You didn’t have to do all of this for me. I mean I’m just a stranger, you barely even know me, but you did, and I’m...very grateful.”

The smile she graced him with was warm, fond, and brilliant. Inuyasha suddenly felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.

Feeling his face heat despite himself, Inuyasha swallowed hard, nodded once, then got out of his truck with a softy muttered “keh.”

He walked around to open her door and reached in to take her into his arms again, secretly enjoying the way her arm went around his neck seemingly without any thought from her and the way she relaxed against his chest, trusting him to keep her secured. Stupidly his throat got tight as he hip checked the door to close it then he was striding across the nearly empty parking lot and pushing the button to open the doors marked “ER.”

He let Kagome explain the situation to the receptionist, provided her insurance and anything else that was required. When a wheelchair suddenly appeared beside them, Inuyasha glared disdainfully at it and growled that he’d carry her. He missed the secret smile that curled Kagome’s lips because she ducked her head before he could see it, her cheeks a becoming shade of scarlet.

The ER nurse, looking a little tired and harried, simply nodded without comment and gestured for him to follow her as she headed down a hallway and through a set of double doors. They were guided to a curtained off “room” and after Inuyasha set her down on the bed, he made to leave, figuring she’d want a bit of privacy. However, the sudden panicked, distressed sound that came from her gave him pause and he looked back to find her staring at him with wide caramel eyes, silently pleading for him to stay and how the _hell_ could he say no to that?

Sighing, Inuyasha nodded and leaned back against the only solid wall of the room, crossing his arms and instantly Kagome relaxed. She bestowed him a grateful smile and his face softened. Clearly she didn’t want to be alone, and she’d already had a pretty rough night. He’d be a complete asshole if he left her now.

Surprisingly they only had to wait ten minutes before they were seen by first a nurse, who took her vitals, asked her the usual questions of how it happened and where she was hurt. After she left it was only another thirty minutes when the doctor strolled on in, clipboard in hand and smelling like hand sanitizer. Once more Kagome rehashed the night’s events, Inuyasha only chiming in when he was required to. When the doctor peeled off the dishrag covering Kagome’s hand to assess the damage, Inuyasha couldn’t hold back the quiet growl when a pained hiss escaped past her lips.

As he suspected, the doctor announced a short time later that her hand would need about ten stitches. Inuyasha did not miss the way Kagome blanched slightly when needles of various sizes were placed on a tray and brought over to the bed. He frowned but made no comment. By the time Dr. What’s-his-face turned back toward her, hands freshly washed and covered in latex, Kagome had plastered on a brave smile, though she was careful not look as he prepared the needle to numb the area around the laceration.

A nurse entered to assist when required and as the physician tapped out any air bubbles from the chamber of the needle containing the numbing element, Kagome shot Inuyasha a desperate look. Her face was deathly white, and when she made a soft sound of distress and held out her hand, Inuyasha was helpless to deny her his comfort.

Ears pinning beneath his hat, he approached the bed, sank down in the chair beside it and allowed her to grasp his hand tightly with her free one. He wasn’t expecting it when she scooted closer and buried her face in his shoulder and now Inuyasha was almost positive Kagome was afraid of needles. Unconsciously he emitted a low, soothing rumble in his chest, hating that she had to endure something that terrified her this much, but knowing it was necessary.

As the doctor inserted the thin needle into the soft flesh of her palm stained yellow from iodine, Kagome gave a pained whimper as she tensed against him. Inuyasha tried not to look too closely at his sudden fierce desire to protect her from any harm, which included the human male that was causing her pain, however essential, right at the moment. So he reined in the urge to forcibly shove him away as he brought up his free hand to rub soothing circles on her back, rubbing across her shoulders, then down her spine, hoping to ease her discomfort even a little. It was astounding how her pain affected him given how he’d only known her a mere two hours, give or take. Again he didn’t dwell on it and concentrated on the woman hiding in his shoulder.

After shot number three, the numbing properties must have started to take effect because she’d stopped flinching and she was losing some of the tension in her shoulders and back. So to distract her from what the doctor was doing to her hand, Inuyasha started talking. He told her stories of his work, his crazy old boss Totosai, the little punk who worked at the shop part time named Shippou, and his best friend’s wedding to the woman of his dreams.

By suture number seven, she was relaxed against him and asking questions, her head turned slightly so she was tucked into the crook of his shoulder and neck, though she kept her eyes closed. Probably so she didn’t accidentally catch a glimpse of her hand, he surmised. Inuyasha readily obliged her and ten minutes later he announced the doctor was done and had put away the tools that frightened her so much.

Though still a little pale, Kagome heaved a relieved sigh and smiled at him as she leaned away, her eyes speaking of her immense gratitude. Before he could stop himself Inuyasha reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and watched her as color filtered back into her cheeks. The corner of his mouth quirked upward just slightly as she hurriedly looked away to watch the doctor wrap white gauze around her hand, oddly pleased he could elicit such a reaction from her.

After wrapping her ankle with orders to stay off of it as much as she could, the physician prescribed some painkillers for both injuries, gave instructions on how to care for the sutures and other medical nonsense Inuyasha tuned out. Then he bid them both a fond adieu, leaving the nurse to wrap things up and retrieve her discharge papers.

When they left twenty minutes later, Inuyasha once more disregarding the hated wheelchair and carrying her in his arms instead, it was after midnight and Kagome was teetering on the edge of sleep when he set her down in the passenger’s seat. He wasn’t at all surprised when he pulled up in front of their apartment house that she’d nodded off. He was careful not to wake her when he gathered her into his arms again and carried her upstairs to her apartment.

He somehow managed to open the door despite not having his hands free and he crossed the living room into the hallway, easily sniffing out her bedroom. The instant he stepped inside her scent surrounded him and he paused to greedily take it in, inhaling deeply and letting it out in a sigh before approaching the bed and gingerly tucking her in. But instead of turning around and leaving like he told himself to do, like he _should be doing,_ Inuyasha crouched beside the bed, rested his elbow on his knee, and propped his chin in his hand, quietly studying her.

His eyes roved her sleeping countenance, admiring how peaceful she looked. Inuyasha recalled how she’d thanked him in the hospital parking lot, expressing her gratitude that despite her being a perfect stranger to him, he still went out of his way to make sure she was taken care of, wrapping up her hand, taking her to the hospital and carrying her around since she couldn’t walk.

Inuyasha rubbed his mouth and frowned, his expression thoughtful, distant. Why _had_ he helped her? Kagome was right; he didn’t know her, hadn’t really been obligated to do much more than call an ambulance and stay until the paramedics arrived. He could have just fetched her phone for her, but instead he’d picked her up, cleaned her hand, wrapped it up and drove her to the hospital himself.

_Why?_

Kagome suddenly stirred, mumbling something unintelligible under her breath as she shifted onto her side, tucking her a hand beneath her chin with a soft sigh and then going still. 

With defeat written on every line of his face, Inuyasha closed his eyes, blew out his cheeks in a heavy sigh, and dragged a hand down his face, resigned.

Who the hell was he kidding? He knew the _exact_ reason why he’d stuck around and it had nothing to do with obligation. The instant he’d seen her sitting on the floor, pale, shaking, looking small and so goddamn vulnerable, every protective instinct inside of him had rushed to the fore and compelled him to do everything in his power to shelter, to take care of and provide. And before he even realized what he was doing he’d ordered her to stay where she was and closed the distance between them, sweeping her up and seeing to her care. He remembered the feel of her in his arms; soft, but also lightly muscled, her toned thighs and arms suggesting she regularly did some form of exercise, and the way her curves fit to the solid frame of his body…

“Aw…damn,” Inuyasha muttered and watched as a tiny smile lifted the corners of her lips.

He _should_ have been offended – was she laughing at his suffering even in her sleep? But instead all he felt was a curious warmth blossoming in his chest that gradually spread outward and Inuyasha knew, right then and there, that his fate was sealed.

“Double damn,” he murmured with a shake of his head and decided that he’d better go before she woke up and found him staring at her like some perverted creeper.

So with great reluctance, Inuyasha got to his feet and quietly rummaged around in the bedside table for a piece of paper and a pen. All he could find was an old receipt and a broken lead pencil, so with a shrug he scribbled a quick note for her to find in the morning, reverently touched her cheek, and silently stole out of her room, closing the door with a soft click.

He tracked down her broom in the hallway closet and retreated to the kitchen to sweep up the scattered glass, double and triple checking to make sure he got all of it. He didn’t want her walking around in her bare feet and getting cut because he missed a piece. After that he found her phone sitting on the counter, sent himself a text, and with one last longing glance toward the bedroom where she slept, Inuyasha turned the lock on the knob, slipped quietly out into the hallway, and closed the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome jolted awake with a startled gasp, shooting upright in bed as her arm, on its own accord, swung out in front of her as if to catch something – or maybe catch _herself_ from falling. For a solid minute Kagome did nothing but drag in ragged breaths, eyes wide, her arm trembling slightly from holding it aloft. Finally the glaze over her eyes seemed to clear and she blinked her vision back into focus, into reality as her consciousness slowly registered the nightmare had ended.

A flash of white caught her attention. Dazedly Kagome stared at the white gauze wrapped around her hand, uncomprehending what exactly it was for several seconds as her sluggish mind struggled into full wakefulness. Snippets of memory slipped through the haze that clouded her mind; the sound of glass shattering, a brief weightless feeling, red smeared across her hand...heavy pounding on her door, a flash of silver, of deep, burnished amber—

_“Ya alright?”_

_“Grease_ dog _.”_

_“Inuyasha.”_

“Inuya— _ah._ ”

Without any warning the pain finally registered in her hand and Kagome sucked in a sharp breath as the recollection of last night’s events came rushing to the fore. Putting away dishes, cutting her hand, falling…Inuyasha coming to see if she was all right. Her ankle developed a dull throb, reminding her of how he’d carried her out of her apartment, drove her to the hospital, and carried her inside. She remembered the needles, the fear it instilled in her, how she’d hid in Inuyasha’s shoulder. How he’d talked the entire time, distracting her so she was able to relax and forget about what the doctor was doing.

Blushing as she recalled the low timbre of his voice and the solid strength of his arms beneath her, Kagome winced as the pain in her hand turned into a burning throb that was getting increasingly difficult to ignore. She bought the appendage into her lap and inspected the white bandage, trying to recall the doctor’s instructions concerning the injury. Truthfully she couldn’t remember much after Inuyasha had announced the treatment was finished so she must have been on auto pilot up until Inuyasha carrying her back out to his truck. Then she remembered nothing so she must have dozed off on the way back home.

Her blush darkened at the implication that her handsome neighbor had carried her to bed, however it was impossible to stop the pleased smile from curling her lips. She already owed him so much for coming to her rescue and seeing to her care. But knowing that he hadn’t stopped there, taking her to her room and putting her to bed? It astounded Kagome, how someone she barely knew could be so thoughtful, and Kagome hoped she’d be able to make it up to him. She was grateful for all he’d done, and she wanted to make sure he knew it.

Kagome’s smile widened and she nodded determinedly to herself. “Right. First things— _ow._ ”

Hissing as her right ankle twinged, Kagome moved more slowly as she swung her legs off the bed and carefully placed her foot on the floor. It still hurt like hell but she was pretty sure she could still walk. The ace bandage prevented her from seeing if there was bruising or swelling, although she didn’t think it was sprained, just a bad twist, which she was thankful for. She still had a lot of unpacking to do and having a sprained ankle would put a damper on her plans.

Wrinkling her nose as she contemplated on what to do next – she knew walking on it would slow the healing but she didn’t exactly have a choice, nor did she own any crutches – something on her nightstand caught her attention. Turning her head, she found what looked to be a wrinkled receipt sitting on the table with a scrawled message. Instantly Kagome’s heart quickened and she snatched it up, unable to stop another smile from blossoming as she read the short note.

_Text me in the morning  
# in your phone_

_\- I_

God, how stupid was it that such a simple, completely generic and _normal_ message left her heart pounding and her stomach fluttering?

_Oh my god, Kagome, get a grip! It’s just a dumb note! You barely even know the guy; it’s completely ridiculous to fawn over a stupid wrinkled receipt!_

Kagome read the message again and butterflies took flight in her belly.

Oh, god. She had it _bad_.

Kagome moaned and let her head roll forward on her shoulders, lifting a hand and racking fingers through her hair. She let the paper fall to the floor, stared at it for a minute, cursed, then stooped down to pick it up and place it back on the nightstand. Scowling at how ridiculous she was being now, Kagome shook her head and resolved to push those thoughts to the back of her mind to dwell on at a later time.

A _much_ later time.

Sucking in a breath, Kagome braced her hands on the bed and slowly pushed to her feet, baring her weight on her left leg and using the nightstand to keep her balance. Biting her lip, she carefully let her right foot rest on the floor before slowly shifting to bear her weight on it a little at a time. As expected her ankle protested but she grit her teeth through the pain and forced herself to take a tiny, shuffling step. To her surprise and utter relief her ankle didn’t give and she breathed through the pain as she took another one, slowly limping her way toward the door, trying very hard to ignore the pain that ricocheted up her leg as the idle thought of what the time was floated across her mind.

Somehow she managed to make it to the bathroom without incident and shuffled out only a short time later. As much as she wanted one, Kagome didn’t think she could handle a shower right now, not with her ankle as it was. And with her hand the way it was, it was probably best she avoided getting it wet, at least for now. She’d do a Google search later on how to properly clean and treat a post-stitched wound, or something.

She gimped her way to the kitchen, finding it was getting slightly easier to walk even if the pain didn’t exactly lessen. It was halfway down the hallway that she remembered about the shattered glass she’d have to clean up and she gave an involuntary pitiful whimper. Man, she really didn’t think she’d be able to sweep it all up, not when she could barely—

Kagome stood in the doorway to her kitchen and gaped at her clean floor. Seconds later a warm, not at all unpleasant feeling blossomed in her chest and spread outward. The corners of her lips flickered into a smile as a soft blush colored her cheeks, those damn butterflies once more taking flight in her belly.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured and leaned against the jamb with a soft sigh. So not only had the man taken her to the hospital, carried her to bed, and practically tucked her in, he’d also had the consideration to sweep up the shattered glass that had littered her kitchen floor.

 _Damn,_ Kagome mused, biting her lip as she carefully shuffled over to the car counter that bisected her living room and kitchen. _Just sweep_ me _off my feet while you’re at it._

Feeling a mite flushed and resisting the ridiculous urge to giggle like a schoolgirl with a crush, Kagome hopped up onto one of the bar stools with more difficulty than usual and swiped up her phone. It had been sitting there since last night while she was putting away dishes and she wasn’t surprised to find it was only at 10% charge.

Still enough to send a quick message, though, she mused with a little smile and checked the time—just after 9 AM. It was a reasonable enough time; he should be awake, right? Granted, they did get back fairly late and though she couldn’t remember the exact time, she knew it’d been closing in on midnight when the doctor finally finished stitching up her hand.

 _It's just a text,_ Kagome reasoned and opened up her contacts, ignoring the way her stomach did that weird swooping thing again. _Even if he_ is _still sleeping, he’ll see it when he wakes up._

Opening her messages, she immediately zeroed in on the latest one sent and the smile that split her face was embarrassingly giddy. Inuyasha had sent himself a text, just a simple and short “hi,” but it had her heart pounding nonetheless as a squeal bubbled up her throat and good _god_ she was _acting_ like a schoolgirl with a crush now, for heaven’s sake!

Shaking her head and telling herself to _get a damn grip_ , Kagome fired off a simple “Good morning! :)” before deliberately setting the mobile onto the counter and carefully climbing down from the stool. She knew that if she just continued to sit there waiting for him to reply, she’d drive herself crazy wondering if he’d received it or not and she’d constantly check her messages to see if she had one back yet. She might as well pass the time by doing something productive and not acting like a teenaged girl with her first crush, so with a grunt Kagome hobbled her way back to her bedroom.

After brushing her teeth, taming the unruly waves of her hair into some semblance of order before promptly putting it into a messy ponytail, and changing into some clean clothes, she was feeling a little more human than before. Donned in a simple t-shirt and black capri leggings, Kagome deemed herself ready to face the day’s challenges and shuffled back out into the kitchen, using the walls and pieces of furniture to help kept most of her weight off her ankle.

 _Amazing what a little bit of deodorant and a fresh pair of panties could do to a woman’s confidence,_ Kagome idly mused and started up her Keurig before hopping over to the counter. The hope was evident in her eyes as she woke up the screen to her cell and then her entire face lit up with a smile.

**_2 new messages_ **

So he _was_ awake. Leaning against the counter, Kagome eagerly opened it up, telling herself that she wasn’t being ridiculous. She _wasn’t_.

_morning_

_how you feelin?_

Resisting the urge to immediately start firing off text after text, reassuring him that she was fine and then expressing her endless gratitude with even more messages, Kagome bit her bottom lip and flicked her gaze to the door. It just felt too…impersonal, thanking him via text message, especially after all that he’d done for her. She thought it would have better impact to tell him face to face, to let him know just how much she appreciated his help and how grateful she was to him. It was hard to express that kind of thing through text, after all, and Kagome was nothing if not thorough when it came to something like this.

So, considering all of that…perhaps her attractive downstairs neighbor wouldn’t mind a brief morning visit?

Mind made up, and stubbornly ignoring that damn giddy feeling again as it welled up in her chest, Kagome left her phone sitting on the counter and slipped her feet into a pair of hard-soled slippers before heading toward the door. Her ankle and hand were both throbbing and she told herself she’d take some painkillers after she probably conveyed her thanks to Inuyasha. No doubt she’d probably already overdone it from all the moving around she’d already done that morning and she resolved to a day of rest on the couch, some Uber Eats, and Netflix.

 _After_ she got back, of course. First there was a certain golden-eyed, devilishly handsome grease dog she had to talk to and profusely thank for his thoughtfulness.

Exiting her apartment and letting the door swing shut behind her, Kagome made it to the top of the stairs before realizing she had a bit of a problem and she pouted in frustration. Dammit, how was she going to get down the stairs with a bum ankle? She eyed the railing and winced; while wholly intact, it didn’t look very sturdy and Kagome didn’t trust it to hold her weight if she leaned too much into it. So she supposed that left one other option left because she _was_ getting own those stairs, goddammit.

Heaving a sigh of resignation, Kagome rolled her eyes and knelt down before falling back onto her butt with a grunt. Then, lifting her foot to keep her weight off of it, Kagome scooted on down the stairs one by one, feeling a bit like a child, but knowing it was the only way without possibly losing her balance and falling down the stairs.

Several minutes later and with a slightly sore butt, Kagome used the railing to heave herself to her feet. She deliberately didn’t think about how she’d get back _up_ the stairs as she hobbled the few feet to Inuyasha’s door. Sucking in a bracing breath, and trying to control the wild fluttering of her heart rate, Kagome lifted a hand to knock gently—

The door swung open before her knuckles could make contact and she was left blinking up into the scowling visage of her downstairs neighbor.

Kagome blinked. Smiled. “Hi.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms and glowered down at her. Wearing a tight black t-shirt and dark-washed jeans, he looked rather intimidating with those stern golden eyes glaring at her with clear disapproval and his mouth turned down into an annoyed frown.

Kagome’s smile faded a little at his less than receptive greeting and she felt a flush coloring her cheeks. She shifted her weight and didn’t miss the way his eyes flashed down to her ankle. His scowl deepened and she suspected she knew the reason for his apparent irritation.

“Um…how did you—”

“I heard you on the stairs,” he cut her off before promptly bending down and sweeping her up into his arms.

Gasping sharply, Kagome could feel her face growing very warm as Inuyasha effortlessly carried her into his home and then set her down onto his two-seater couch, being careful not to jostle her ankle. Wide-eyed and face very red, Kagome watched as he sat on the coffee table before her and wordlessly held out his hand.

She blinked at him. He wiggled his fingers, clearly impatient, and when all she did was stare at him, Inuyasha sighed, reached down, and lifted her foot to prop against his knee. Tugging the slipper off, he carefully began unraveling the bandage around her ankle, needing to see if it had gotten better or worst since last night. He could feel the weight of her slightly stunned gaze on him as he worked but he ignored it, trying valiantly to keep a tight rein on the anger simmering just below the surface.

“Idiot,” he snapped as the bandage fell to the floor and lifted angry amber eyes to lock with sheepish caramel-colored depths. “What the hell were you thinking going down those stairs by yourself? You could have fallen and ended up with something far worse than just a sprained ankle! What part of ‘stay off of it as much as you can’ didn’t you understand, stupid girl?”

Indignant that he would immediately assume she walked down the stairs, Kagome leveled him with a mulish glare and pursed her lips. Color filtered into her cheeks at the obvious reprimand and she huffed, crossing her arms.

“First of all, I didn’t _walk_ down the stairs, I _scooted_ , and second, how else am I supposed to get around when I don’t own any crutches? Oh wait, just let me go fetch the bloody wheelchair I keep stashed in my closet for a random twisted ankle!”

Inuyasha snorted at her “scooted” comment and tried very hard not to grin at that highly amusing mental image his brain supplied as he gently prodded at the swollen flesh of her ankle. Kagome hissed and flinched. His ears pinned against his head and his frown deepened as he carefully turned her ankle over in his hand.

“Sprained,” he repeated, studying the light bruising that was starting to come in. “Not twisted. It’s mild, though, so should heal within a few days. Provided you stay _off_ it like you _should_ have been doing.”

Kagome frowned. “But the doctor—”

“Is an idiot,” he finished and gently let her foot back on the floor. “And it was probably the end of his shift, you were no doubt his last patient, and was probably too tired to give a rat’s ass if it was twisted or sprained, so he didn’t and just said to stay off it. Which you didn’t.”

“Well, unless you expected me to _fly_ to the bathroom—”

He gave her a _look_ and she rolled her eyes.

“Okay, _okay_ , I get it. Jeez, I’ll stay off the damn foot.”

Satisfied, Inuyasha grunted and stood up. “You want anything to drink? Coffee?”

Kagome perked up at the prospect of hot coffee. She’d meant to make herself a cup but then promptly forgot about it when she decided to come down here instead.

“Coffee would be great,” she said but then faltered when Inuyasha walked toward the kitchen without another word. “Wait, Inuyasha! Ah…damn.”

Huffing, Kagome deliberated for about half a second before getting to her feet and limping her way after him. She was determined to thank him, dammit, if it was the last thing she did!

When her ankle started protesting too much, she hopped the rest of the way and managed to reach the doorway before having to stop to rest, leaning against the doorjamb. Standing in front of his coffee machine, Inuyasha’s ear flicked behind him before he looked over his shoulder at her and then promptly muttered a curse, rolling his eyes.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said and tipped him a smile as he started toward her. But before she could continue, the half-demon bent down, wrapped his arm around her thighs, and promptly hoisted her over his shoulder.

Kagome squeaked in surprise, the blood rushing to her face to paint it a lovely scarlet color as Inuyasha stalked back into his living room and dumped her back onto the couch.

“ _Stay_ ,” he told her, jabbed a finger at her face with a pointed look, then disappeared into the kitchen again, grumbling under his breath.

Kagome pouted and sunk back into the couch, glaring mulishly at the dark flat screen television across from her. For lack of anything better to do since she was evidently sequestered to the couch while Mr. Moody made her coffee, Kagome took in her surroundings.

She suspected that at one point in time, the entire apartment house had been one unit before it was split in two and what she was staring at now was the original décor. Inuyasha’s walls were covered with that fake wood paneling and the carpet, while clean, was faded red shag. A huge, old brick fireplace took up one corner of the room and she had to wonder if some of the shelving on the walls was original, too.

Honestly, Kagome liked it. It was charming, cozy with a rustic feel to it, and for some reason it suited the half-demon in the kitchen. Despite just having met him last night, she got the sense that he liked to live simply, without all the bells and whistles that her own upgraded apartment had.

The upstairs must have been a more recent addition, Kagome surmised. Or at the very least had a recent renovation to attract more tenant applicants. If she had to guess, the oldest thing in her own apartment was probably the furnace. She didn’t mind, though; why fix what ain’t broke, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Inuyasha walked in from the kitchen holding a streaming mug of delicious java and a plate of what looked to be toast. Kagome blinked in surprise as her mouth twitched upward. He’d made her breakfast, too?

He set both items on the coffee table in front of her and Kagome saw that the toast was in actuality a toasted sandwich with a fried egg and tomato. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation as her heart warmed even further at her neighbor’s seemingly endless consideration. Goodness, at this rate, she was going to fall—

“Wait,” Kagome said when Inuyasha once again started to leave. Thankfully this time he stopped, half-turning toward her and cocking a single brow in silent inquiry.

“Thank you,” she blurted.

Inuyasha shrugged. “It’s just coffee and the sandwich was easy—”

“That’s not what I meant,” Kagome gently cut him off and then gave him a warm, genuine smile. “I mean, thank you for everything, Inuyasha. For coming to see if I was okay last night after I fell, for taking me to the hospital, for…”

She blushed. “For putting me to bed. And yes, for this, too.”

Kagome gestured to the coffee and food and leveled him with another soft smile, her eyes glittering with unconcealed appreciation and warmth.

“Just…thank you,” she said sincerely. “I came down here because I wanted to tell you that in person, not through a text. Sorry for making you worry.”

Inuyasha stared at her and could feel his cheeks warming with a slight flush because yeah, she had worried him when she’d come down those stairs by herself. Wench was clearly more perceptive than he’d anticipated and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that yet. One thing he was certain of, however, was that when she smiled at him like that his stomach did this weird swooping thing and something warm blossomed in his chest. His mouth suddenly felt dry and he had to swallow once, twice before he felt like he could speak again.

Ah… _shit_.

Not trusting his voice to not crack and hoping his face wasn’t as red as he feared, Inuyasha merely nodded before disappearing down the hall.

Pleased her gratitude had been adequately conveyed and recalling how cute he’d looked while blushing, Kagome finally allowed herself to enjoy the breakfast Inuyasha had so generously provided. The sandwich was delicious, the coffee was the perfect temperature, and she didn’t know how he’d done it, but her attractive silver-haired neighbor had added the perfect amount of cream to sweeten it _just_ how she liked it. The man was a Godsend and hell _yes_ she was grateful that he was _her_ neighbor and not someone else’s.

She’d just polished off the sandwich and was settling back into the cushions with her coffee cradled in her hands when Inuyasha reappeared and her eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise. He’d put all that glorious silver hair up into a haphazard bun and was in the process of jamming a black ball cap onto his head as he headed for the door. Kagome blinked. Was he leaving?

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked, watching as he shrugged on a leather jacket and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter that divided the two rooms, similar to her own.

“Just gonna run a few errands,” he rumbled and double checked to make sure he had his wallet and phone. “Stay put. I’ll be back soon.”

Kagome frowned. “But—”

Before Kagome could even draw in the breath to gasp, Inuyasha was suddenly right in front of her and leaning down with his arms caging her on either side. Her eyes widened and her face erupted in color, butterflies taking flight in her belly as her heart skipped a beat.

Staring directly into her eyes and trying very hard to ignore how fucking wonderful she smelled, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and growled, “Do. Not. Move. From his couch. I’ll know if you did. Capisce?”

Eyes side, Kagome swallowed thickly, licked her lips, and nodded.

Inuyasha’s gaze flicked to her mouth then back to her eyes too fast for her to process before he emitted a low grunt and pushed away. Kagome released a breath she didn’t even know she was holding and silently watched as he headed toward the door.

She bit her lip. “Inu—”

He stopped, jabbed at finger at her, and Kagome’s jaw clicked shut. Satisfied, Inuyasha opened the door and exited his apartment, closing the door behind him.

Kagome stared at the door and stayed put…for five seconds. Quickly, in case he came back for whatever reason, Kagome got to her feet and hobbled as fast as she could down the hall toward the bathroom.

Hey, it wasn’t _her_ fault her bladder decided to tell her she had to pee right before he walked out the door!


	3. Chapter 3

Inuyasha walked into his apartment a lot later than what he’d originally planned and he hoped Kagome wouldn’t be too upset that he’d left her alone for nearly four hours. To make it up to her, he’d bought them both some lunch at his favorite ramen shop and swung by a Starbucks to get one of those frothy, sweet drinks that women tend to favor.

Kicking the door shut, he set the diabetes in a cup, their lunch, and a white paper bag onto the counter before shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the back of the door. He glanced toward the couch and his eyebrows rose at the sight that greeted him. Despite himself, the felt the corner of his lips flicker with the beginnings of an amused grin and unbeknownst to him, his eyes softened with fond admiration.

Ponytail askew on her head and one half of her face red, Kagome blinked blearily at him for a moment before a wide yawn escaped her mouth. She stretched, raising her arms above her head as she arched her back and it was obvious she’d just woken up from a nap.

God, but she looked cute and Inuyasha’s gut tightened with the beginnings of…something he wasn’t yet ready to acknowledge. So he didn’t and shook his head, turning to grab their lunch and the paper bag before striding over to her.

“Hi,” Kagome greeted, her voice pleasantly raspy as she rubbed her eyes.

“Nice nap?” he asked and swapped out the empty dishes on the coffee table for their lunch and her drink.

“Mm.” Kagome settled back against the armrest and stretched out her legs, wincing slightly when her angle twinged. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Inuyasha frowned, eyed her ankle, then left to dump the dirty dishes into the sink to worry about later. He grabbed a soda for himself and came back to find Kagome had taken possession of the Starbucks monstrosity with an impish grin and he snorted, rolling his eyes.

“It’s yours,” he supplied, a little needlessly as she’d already started sipping from the straw. “Sorry I was gone for so long. Had to stop by work and got caught up there before making a few more stops. Figured I’d make up for it with lunch and that diabetes in a cup.”

“ _Tasty_ diabetes in a cup,” Kagome cheerfully corrected as Inuyasha nudged her legs, a silent hint to let him sit. She wrinkled her nose but obliged, slowly swinging her legs down so he could plop down beside her with a grunt. She wasn’t expecting him to lean back and then gesture for her stretch them out again and with a happy grin Kagome did, propping her feet onto his lap. It was amazing how comfortable she already felt around him given that she’d only known him a short time.

She wasn’t about to question it though; she’d left behind her old life, her old friends, and having Inuyasha as a friend? Well, she definitely wasn’t about to complain. Thankfully he didn’t seem to be too bothered by it either, calm as you please as he handed her some chopsticks and ramen before digging into his own with relish. Granted, he probably just wanted to make sure her ankle was being elevated, but still…

It was nice, knowing that she wasn’t alone.

With a secret smile, Kagome dug in, hiding her red face behind her takeout ramen as she quietly slurped her noodles. She could get used to this.

 _I could get used to this,_ Inuyasha mused, casting a sidelong glance at the woman at his side.

Maybe he was being a bit too forward and nonchalant given that they’d just officially met the night before, but thankfully – and a little surprisingly – Kagome didn’t seem to mind. She was acting like they’d been friends for years, and if Inuyasha were being honest, it _felt_ like he had known her for just as long. He couldn’t explain it, and in fact didn’t even want to, but there was something about this woman that just…put him at ease.

It was like she exuded a quiet peacefulness that soothed him in such a way that, with no effort at all, she was able to sneak past his defenses and catch glimpses of the real him. The one that didn’t hide behind a tough façade, the one that didn’t use biting insults and crude comments to disguise his true emotions.

Somehow this little slip of a woman with dark eyes, a fear of needles, and an infectious smile had managed to accomplish a feat that no one but his mother had been able to do in the entire thirty-two years he’d been alive. Even more astonishing, she’d done it in just a little over fifteen hours, and that _should_ have had alarm bells ringing. That _should_ make him want to back off, to put some space between them so he could breathe properly without her intoxicating scent wreaking havoc on his mind and clouding his judgement.

Curiously, however – or maybe a more accurate term would be _frighteningly_ – as Kagome turned her head and caught him staring sat her, he realized that he wanted to do the complete opposite. Her soft blush made him want to say things to see if he could make her blush harder. Her bemused smile as she tilted her head had his fingers twitching with the urge to tangle in her hair and taste that smile, steal it for his own.

And the way his name sounded rolling off her tongue, the gentle lilt to the single word hinting at curious concern, made him want to drop to his knees and swear his fealty, his protection, his very soul if it meant she would _always_ look at him like that.

 _Ah…fuck,_ Inuyasha inwardly lamented as Kagome took advantage of his distraction to reach over and snag a shrimp from his ramen takeout container.

“Earth to Inuyashaaaa.” Kagome waved her chopsticks in front of his face, stolen piece of shrimp sandwiched between the ends. “You in there? Are you—hey!”

Releasing Kagome’s wrist, Inuyasha chewed the shrimp that he’d just stolen right back from her chopsticks. She pouted at him and he snorted, unaffected.

“Wave food in my face and suffer the consequences.”

“No fair, yours has more shrimp than mine!”

“Not my problem.”

Kagome pouted again, fluttering her lashes for extra effect. It was embarrassing how quick Inuyasha gave in after that.

“Manipulative wench,” Inuyasha muttered but his glare lacked any real censure.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kagome chirped and then sighed in bliss as she popped another (pilfered) shrimp into her mouth.

“My ass.”

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and gave a cheeky grin. Shaking his head, Inuyasha sighed then carefully removed her legs from his lap, frowning when Kagome hissed as he set them back on the couch.

“How’s your hand, by the way?” he asked and went to retrieve the paper bag still sitting on the counter.

“Hurts,” Kagome answered honestly, shrugging, and flexed the hand in question. “Right now it’s doing kind of a…burning throb? But it’s tolerable so I should be good until I can get those prescriptions—what’s this?”

Blinking down at the white paper bag Inuyasha had just wordlessly dropped into her lap, Kagome set aside her lunch and peered inside. Her mouth parted on a soft gasp and her eyes widened as a soft, pleased flush stole across her cheeks. She looked up as Inuyasha sat onto the coffee table before her and gingerly took her bandaged hand into his own to inspect it himself.

“You picked up my medicine for me?” Kagome asked, her soft tone reflecting her awe and her eyes bright with barely concealed pleasure.

“I’ll change this tomorrow,” he said, deliberately ignoring her question because who else could have gotten her meds. “Doc said to leave it on for at least twenty-four hours before changing it and you’ll probably be asleep by the time I get home tonight.”

Inuyasha got up to throw away their empty takeout boxes but then paused, his brow knitting as a thought occurred to him.

“You work tomorrow?”

Narrowing her eyes at him to silently telegraph that his evading her question did not go unnoticed, Kagome sighed when he merely raised his brows at her and shook her head.

“No,” she replied. “I mean, yes I work, but I work from home and I have the rest of the week off to finish unpacking and get settled.”

Inuyasha nodded, appeased. Good, now he wouldn’t be distracted worrying about her at work tomorrow since he had a morning shift. He could just imagine her doing something foolish and breaking her damn ankle instead of merely spraining it.

Checking the time on his phone while Kagome idly sipped her Starbucks and openly stared at him, Inuyasha reluctantly decided that he needed to stop procrastinating and leave for the shop soon. Miroku was only working half a day today and he didn’t trust the runt to be there by himself since the old man wasn’t in today, either.

Grumbling under his breath, Inuyasha crossed the room to shrug into his jacket and jam his ball cap back onto his head before grabbing his keys. Kagome, gathering that he was getting ready to leave for work, set down her drink – she was sucking up nothing but whipped cream now anyway – and pushed to her feet, favoring her ankle. Before she could take a single step, however, Inuyasha was there and he lifted her up into his arms with no warning.

At her blushingly surprised look, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and remarked, “You didn’t actually think I was gonna make you walk up those stairs, did you?”

Her sheepish smile was answer enough. Inuyasha snorted quietly before leaving his apartment with her in his arms, her bag of meds resting on her stomach.

“I could have scooted again,” Kagome murmured, slightly indignant, but Inuyasha merely snorted again and started up the stairs. “What? It’s a perfectly acceptable mode of transportation.”

“Yeah, for toddlers and—”

“Don’t you dare say it.”

Inuyasha smirked but remained silent. He got a swat to the chest for his troubles anyway and had to swallow the snicker that welled up.

He had Kagome open the door for him when he reached the second floor, carrying her into the living room and setting her on the giant L-shaped sectional couch. There was no way in hell she carried that up here by herself so it must have been left over from the previous tenant. He briefly left her to retrieve the crutches he’d bought and came back to prop them against the couch, conveniently ignoring her jaw-dropped expression.

“Where the hell—”

“Use ‘em,” he said, cutting her off. “And stay off your feet. Understood?”

She blinked. “But—”

Inuyasha crossed his arms with a no-nonsense glare and Kagome huffed, wrinkling her nose.

“Yes, _Mom_ ,” she muttered, folding her own arms across her chest and looking every bit the petulant child as she sunk back against the cushions.

His lips twitched at how cute she looked pouting like that.

“You want it to heal or don’t you?” he asked, arching a brow, and he took Kagome’s defeated sigh as his answer. “Two weeks. You’ll live, I promise.”

“Says you,” Kagome murmured, making a face, and Inuyasha had grin that time.

“Take your meds,” he said, nodding to the paper bag beside her. He hesitated a little before adding on, “Text me if anything happens. I’ll do my best to swing by.”

Kagome’s face positively lit up and she smiled at him. “Really? You’ll leave work just to check on me?”

His face grew warm and he mentally cursed.

“Obviously. You’re like a child. Can’t leave you unsupervised for long or you’ll burn the house down.”

Kagome’s smile abruptly vanished and she scowled at him.

“Jerk. Get out of my apartment. Shoo.”

Bestowing upon her a very fangy smirk, Inuyasha’s amber eyes glinted with mischievous delight as he fired off a two-fingered salute, spun on his heal, and headed for the front door. Before he disappeared out of sight, however, he stopped, half-turned, and pinned her with a hard stare.

“And for the love of god, woman, _lock_ your fucking door, will ya?”

That said, he ducked out of view. Seconds later Kagome heard the sound of her apartment door closing with a soft click and then heavy footsteps descending the stairs.

“ _‘Lock your fucking door,’_ ” Kagome mocked him under her breath but nevertheless got up to do as he bade.

She adjusted the crutches to a desirable height and awkwardly shuffled her way into the kitchen. It had been years since the last time she’d used these things – if she recalled correctly, when she’d dislocated her knee in middle school – and it would take some time getting used to them again. She also remembered they were torture on the pits, so she made a mental note to grab some rubber bands and dish towels for extra cushion.

Kagome had to admit, however, that as much as she despised the things, she was also eternally grateful that Inuyasha had actually taken the time to buy her some. Her expression softened as she hobbled over to the counter where her phone still sat. Part of her still couldn’t believe he’d actually purchased a pair of crutches or her on top of retrieving her medicine as well, and abruptly all irritation toward the half-demon vanished. Would she ever stop being grateful for that man?

Sighing, Kagome leaned against the counter and allowed a fond smile to curl her lips upward as she swiped her finger across the dark screen. Nothing happened, and she wrinkled her nose. It must have died while she was downstairs. Ah, well. Her only charger was in her bedroom at the moment so she’d just plug it in and check it later.

She tucked the device into her bra since her leggings didn’t have pockets, slowly limped her way to her bedroom, and plugged it into charge before retreating to the kitchen. She deliberated for a moment on how to do this without falling _or_ dropping everything and she ended up shoving the _very_ cold soda can into her bra – yelping as the chilled aluminum made contact with her skin – and carrying a bag of chips in her mouth as she gimped back into the living room.

Hey, if she was being banished to her couch all day because of a bum ankle, she needed snacks, dammit.

Then, reclining back into the couch and kicking up the footrest, Kagome settled in for a relaxing day of Netflix and a whole lot of nothing else.

Oh _joy_.

**-X-**

When Inuyasha walked through the apartment house’s front door a little after 10 pm, instead of going straight to his door he turned and climbed the stairs instead. He hadn’t received any texts from her, SOS related or otherwise, and the one he’d sent her to check in had gone unanswered so he was just a little on edge as he stalked to her front door. He realized her phone might be on vibrate or something and she hadn’t heard it, or was in another room, or countless other possibilities, but still, he’d feel better knowing she was alright and knew he wouldn’t be able to get to sleep without making sure.

He turned the knob and a colorful string of curses left his mouth. Unlocked. Because of _course_.

“Goddammit, woman,” he hissed and opened the door, peeking inside. It was dark, save for the glow of the television from the other room. Heaving a sigh, he walked in and headed toward the living room, unsurprised to find her sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep.

He shook his head, crossing the room and kneeling by the couch where she slept. Her mouth was open as little snores escaped past her lips and a trail of drool was leaking from the corner of her mouth. Inuyasha snorted quietly but had to grin, unthinkingly reaching forward to gently wipe it away with his thumb.

Kagome stirred and emitted a soft sigh. His ears flicked at the sound and he watched as blearily brown eyes cracked open just a smidge, blinking rapidly.

“N’yasha?” she breathed and sighed, eyes falling closed once again.

His heart clenched and he swallowed hard. Instead of answering, he wordlessly slipped his hands beneath her and lifted her up into his arms. Kagome curled against him and his stomach did that swooping sensation again as he headed down the hallway to put her to bed.

“Wench,” he murmured, carefully depositing her onto her bed and covering her with a blanket. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth. You know that?”

Kagome murmured something unintelligible in her sleep and then stilled, her breaths even and deep. Watching her, Inuyasha had the random thought that her eyelashes were thick and dark resting against the gentle swell of her cheeks. His eyes dropped to her mouth and he recalled how earlier, right before he’d left to run errands, the urge to kiss her had slammed into him so hard he’d had to walk away before he gave in and kissed her senseless.

Now the urge was back and Inuyasha growled to himself, shaking his head. Goddammit, what was wrong with him? He’d never been affected by a woman this much before, let alone one he barely even knew. True, he felt comfortable with her more than anyone he’d ever met, could easily admit that he was attracted to her physically, but none of that explained any of the other, more instinctive urges that were sweeping over him. Like protect her, provide for her, take care of her on a level that was way more than just platonic.

Staring down at her now as she slept, Inuyasha was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu and he barely refrained from groaning aloud as he dragged a hand down his face. Were _all_ his nights with her living above him going to end like this?

Kagome grunted, made a soft noise in the back of her throat, and then emitted a loud, unattractive snore as she flopped onto her back.

Inuyasha covered his mouth to muffle his rumbling laugh, abruptly deciding that…yeah.

He could definitely live with that.

“Goodnight, Kagome,” he whispered and brushed some hair away from her face before quietly leaving her bedroom. He turned off her TV and made sure her door was locked before closing it behind him, wondering at the mild ache he felt in his chest as he descended the stairs to get some shuteye in his own apartment. 


End file.
